


Against Destiny

by kiahood



Series: The Name of Albion [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: 1950s, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - 1950s, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Destiny, F/M, Fluff without Plot, Friendship/Love, Reincarnation, Romance, Screw Destiny
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-14
Updated: 2015-08-02
Packaged: 2018-03-12 20:19:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3353978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiahood/pseuds/kiahood
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It is London in the 1950s. Merlin still lives and Morgana, having been reborn, remembers her past again. Instead of continuing the war that the two have yet to solve, they decide to work things out and thus, fighting against destiny.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

 

After Merlin and Morgana had decided to move on together, Morgana moved back into the Albion mansion and continued her job as party planner. She took her time getting accustomed to not being enemies with Merlin anymore and wishing for his death, which Merlin willingly gave her. It was obvious that it would take time, but both were determined to work on what seemed broken, though possibly for different reasons.

The first month of Morgana back at the mansion was surprisingly quiet. Instead of spending every single second with another, they almost spend no time together at all to get used to the new situation and prevent overdoing things. Without having officially agreed on it with the other, they automatically decided to take things slowly but more efficient.

 

It wasn't long until the first party since Morgana moved back in, and once it was there, the two finally spend some time together.

“Remember how you promised not to keep any secrets from me anymore?”

Merlin turned his head around, remaining seated on the stairs leading from the terrace to the garden, a curious smile on his face as he spotted Morgana, “As a matter of fact, I do. Why, is there something you want to know?”

After a moment of hesitation, the female asked, “Yes, well, actually it's something that has been on my mind since I first heard of you. The parties. Why do you throw them?”

He had already expected her to ask that question, knowing that it wouldn't take long until she finally would. Although it wasn't a topic that he wanted to keep secret or felt uncomfortable about discussing, it was a relief to finally get it over with. His reply was not going to be the shortest, wherefore he symbolized her to sit down next to her. Without hesitation, Morgana sat down next to him, patiently looking at him and waiting for him to start explaining. As he began, he stared into the distance, “It's lonely, being the only one who is not going to die unless killed with magic, which is unlikely to happen when not telling anyone about it. In ways it's great, I can see the world change, travel where I like without having to worry about my job or family. I can learn everything I want to because I got all the time I need for it. I can meet such a variety of people, people of different times and places, which gives you quite an extent on your world view. But as much as I enjoy each moment of my life with all those different people, all unique in their own special way, nothing and no one remains. Surely I have the memories of them and I take souvenirs to keep my memory fresh. Yet I've got all that and can't share it with anyone because they, too, will fade away just like everyone else. However that doesn't answer your question too well. Point is, there are so many people out there who wish they could live on forever in order to have more time to do and see all they want to and, I suppose, having parties they can go to is no rush, it gives them the opportunity to take a night off just to have some fun and not think about how little time they have on earth. Also it's nice to just see them enjoying their time.”

Morgana silently watched him as he spoke, her interest growing with every word he said. He sounded so lonely, yet he seemed alright with it. In a way that was expectable seeing as he had spent a fair amount of time living alone already, “Do you mind? being immortal, I mean.”

“No, not really,” he answered, though with a somewhat sad smile, “It's lonely, as I said, but I've got this opportunity no one else has – to take care of the world, see it make mistakes and learn for it to help protect it.”

“And yet the second World War has just come to an end a couple of years ago,” she commented, regretting her rude choice of words immediately.

Without showing any signs of feeling hurt, he continued, “Unfortunately, it's much easier to say things than to actually do them. Frankly all I can really do is advice the Royal Family so they don't make great mistakes.”

“So the parties,” Morgana returned to the original topic, “You throw them to give people a bit of happiness?”

“The world never stops being cruel and there is so little one can do to keep the brightness in it.”

She honestly did try to move on, and it was far easier than she had imagined, but that did not keep her from making mean remarks to him here and there, “Is that your attempt to make up for all the wrongs you've done in the past?”

“I wish there was more I could do,” he admitted, turning to Morgana.

Thus the two, again, stared at each silently for a few seconds without either of them planning on breaking that silence for a while. It was a bit weird at times how they sometimes just did that and especially how good it felt for the two of them. They had so much to say and so they did a lot, however, looking into each other's eyes was saying so much more. They easily managed to read the other, one look enough to tell what they felt and thought. That wasn't something they could do because they knew each other so well or because they had such a good relationship, which was something they were still working on anyway, instead, it was the understanding, being able to relate to the other for they had a lot in common.

Suddenly, Morgana started to grin at the other mischievously, confusing Merlin, “That grin doesn't look like it's got something nice in store for me...”

“As I said before: I will _not_ kill you. That's a pleasure I shall never give to you,” she began, immediately regretting her choice of words, knowing that he was going to laugh about it, “Anyway. What I also already mentioned was that one on my reasons for coming back is to see what your life is actually like. Aside from parties that is. Your job for instance. I'd like to see you give advice to the Queen.”

Merlin smiled gently, mostly relieved that she was interested in his life and truly willing to live with him in peace instead of being foes, “Sure. The next time she calls, I'll take you with me.”

 

And so it was. Just a few days later, Victor informed Merlin that the Buckingham Palace had called, saying that _the Queen required Mister Albion's presence immediately._ He told Morgana and after telling Timothy, his driver, where to go, the two got driven to the Buckingham Palace.

It didn't take long until they arrived, Timothy stopping the car directly in front of the castle.

“You can drive home already, Tim, we'll walk back,” Merlin told his friend before he and Morgana got out of the car and walked up the stairs.

“I'm guessing the Queen knows?”

“Everyone in the Royal Family does.”

“Anyone else?”

“No, just them.”

The two entered the gigantic building. While Merlin was already used to the view, Morgana was amazed, although she hadn't expected to. Maybe it was the fact that it had been quite a while since she had last been in a castle that the experience had such an astonishing character.

“It's so beautiful,” Morgana marveled about the rich interior, too fascinated to even realize someone approaching.

“Your punctuality amazes me over and over again.”

Merlin turned away from Morgana, his focus now on the Queen, “You know I always immediately respond to your urgent requests of me, despite both of us knowing that it's rarely ever truly urgent.”

“It's always best to take care of things right away instead of waiting an unnecessary amount of time.”

“Although I agree, how about next time you call on a day that isn't the coldest day of December so far?”

The Queen laughed about his comment, “What a terrible expectation to be asked to work even on a cold day, isn't it? But enough of negative things, I see you brought a friend. How... _unusual_ of you,” she noticed, looking at Morgana with a soft smile.

“This is Morgana, an _old friend of mine_ ,” Merlin explained, and the Queen immediately knew what he meant.

A bright grin of surprise formed on her lips as she quickly shook the other's hands, “Morgana? Morgana Pendragon? Oh what an honor it is to meet you, I've heard so much about you already and always dreamed to meet you.”

“Oh, really? I'm flattered, I've actually been quite excited to meet you, your Majesty. I uh, suppose that would not be the best you've heard of me then?”

“Not the best? Despite all the darker stories, Merlin has always spoken very fondly of you, actually,” the Queen smiled.

“Though all this reminiscing is great, how about we turn to more important matters now?”

Morgana looked at Merlin with an amused grin, “Oh, but I'd love to hear more about what great things you've said about me.”

“No, you really wouldn't want to bore yourself with old stories.”

"Sounds like someone has a little secret?” Morgana inquired, raising her brows.

“And I can just imagine what that is,” the Queen confirmed, amused.

“Really? And what would that be?”

Merlin blushed slightly as he looked at the Queen, quickly insisting, “You promised never to speak of it.”

“Someone's blushing,” she laughed, much to Morgana's amusement, before turning more serious again, “Of course, and I am going to keep that promise, although I fear that she will not give up trying to get you to tell her.”

“Yeah, thank you very much for that. Now to business.”

The females gave up, becoming more serious at the mentioning of work, “It's really just a minor thing I require from you today, actually. Charles has something on his mind, I'm sure of it, but he won't talk to anyone. I know he's so very fond of you, please talk to him, will you?”

Merlin nodded politely with his friendly smile, “Of course, Morgana and I will take care of it right away.”

The Queen, looking thankful now, smiled in response, “Perfect. I've got so much business to take care of today, but you know your way around the castle. Should there be anything you need, you know who to call.”

“As always,” the male confirmed, allowing the Queen to get to work with a clean conscience.

“She's even greater in person,” Morgana mumbled once the Queen had left.

Her awe amused Merlin but he didn't address it any further once she glared at him, so he cleared his throat to stop his laughing.

“So,” Morgana continued, changing the topic, “We're gonna play babysitter today?”

“Apparently so. Now, come on, he's great fun,” Merlin reassured her and then led her to the boy's room upstairs.

Although she had spent the majority of her past life living in a castle herself, she had not been in a castle in her current one and so she was in awe at the view. The castle looked very different to Camelot's castle, too, which only added to the reason she was so fascinated by it.

While Morgana tried taking in every inch of the castle, Merlin silently hoped that Charles would not drop a hint about one of the things Merlin had told him about Camelot, like his mother just had, because he could live without Morgana nagging about the content of the stories. Had he ever known that Morgana would be reborn and that they would go to the castle together, he never would have told anyone anything about his past.

 

The two quickly reached the boy's room, Merlin knocking at the door to ask permission to enter.

“Who's there?” called a small voice from inside.

“It's me, Merlin.”

As soon as he spoke his name, quick tiny steps could be heard approaching the door from the other side before opening the door, revealing the eight-year-old boy. Upon seeing the sorcerer, to whom he looked up to a lot, his eyes seemed to sparkle as he gave him a big hug.

“Hello, Merlin,” he greeted the older one with a bright smile before turning to Morgana, looking at her a bit confused.

“Charles, this is Morgana,” Merlin introduced the female, who smiled at the little boy.

“Morgana? Morgana Morgana?” Charles asked to reassure himself who the stranger was.

Merlin nodded, “Yeah.”

“Hello,” the younger one greeted Morgana then cheerfully.

Morgana turned to Merlin with an amused smile, “I feel so popular today,” before turning back to Charles with a sweet smile on her lips, “Would you allow us to step inside your chambers?”

“Of course,” Charles quickly nodded, stepping aside to make room for the two to walk inside the big room.

“What a lovely room you've got,” Morgana noticed optimistically after Merlin shut the door behind them.

“I do,” Charles agreed proudly.

Merlin walked over to the boy and kneed down in front of him, “Close your eyes and hold out your hands.”

“Why?”

“It's a surprise.”

The word made Charles excitedly obey to what the other had told him to do. Morgana curiously stayed where she stood, waiting for what was to come.

Merlin cupped his hands over Charles' palms and whispered a spell. He then carefully removed his hands and told the boy to open his eyes again.

As he looked down into his hands, he immediately smiled joyfully not taking his eyes off the bottle, “Is that pixie dust?” He asked excitedly.

Merlin nodded, “It is. I'm sorry I couldn't make it to your birthday, I hope you still like it.”

“Still like it? This is the best present of all, Merlin! Thank you!”

The child's joy delighted Morgana, who did not plan on asking Merlin where he had gotten pixie dust from. Charles then turned around and walked over to a shelf where he then placed the bottle in to make sure it was safe. Meanwhile, Merlin got up, watching Charles happily staring at the bottle while Morgana approached Merlin, also not taking her eyes off the boy.

“I'm glad you like it,” Merlin began, “Anyway, I'm sure you can imagine that we did not just come here to give you a present. Your mother has actually asked me to come here to talk to you, she is concerned that there is something on your mind lately.”

At the change of tone, Charles turned around and walked over to where Merlin and Morgana were standing. Instead of answering, he just stood there looking at them a bit shyly.

“Come on, let's sit down. Secrets are better discussed in a close circle,” Morgana proposed as she sat down on the ground, where she was soon joined by Charles, who seemed to enjoy the idea a lot, and then Merlin, too. The latter one gave the female a quick smile to show his appreciation. He knew Morgana was good with children, she had proved that back when Mordred had been a boy and the two of them had to hide them from the King.

“As heir to the throne, you've got a lot of responsibilities,” Morgana started, leaning slightly to Charles, “Nonetheless, what's most important is for you to be happy. And whatever is on your mind, no matter how unsolvable it seems, don't ever accept negativity. Unfortunately sometimes things seem to be hard to change, but don't be afraid to ask for help. There is always someone out there willing to help, and it is so much better to share your problems than to have them all on your own.”

Merlin silently watched Morgana handle the situation in awe. He knew she spoke out of experience, one that he had caused, which brought back that constant feeling of guilt he felt more intense lately, seeing Morgana as a reminder all the time. Yet she didn't seem to intend in anyway to make him feel guilty, instead, she was completely focusing on the child.

There was a moment of silence between the three, the two adults waiting patiently for the younger one to reply. After just a few seconds, Charles finally decided to lean closer in the circle and admit in a whisper, “I'm nervous about school, which I have to attend starting February.”

“Hey,” Merlin whispered encouragingly as he placed a comforting hand on the boy's back, “Everyone's nervous about that.”

“Did you go to public school, too?”

Merlin chuckled lightly as he took his hand off the boy again, “That didn't exist yet when I was younger.”

“But I went,” Morgana threw in, “It certainly is terrifying, yet most fascinating. There is so much to learn, without having to travel the world and teaching yourself everything on your own, which would take lifetimes. Besides, you'll make a couple of friends and enjoy some people your age. I'm sure you would rather have some friends that are your age and not as old as this guy,” she pointed at Merlin with a grin.

“Hey!” Merlin exclaimed, half-offended, “I'm great to hang out with!”

Charles laughed at that, “Friends would be great, but I like Merlin! He has magic! People in school won't have that.”

“And neither have you, but,” Morgana immediately got the boys' attention when they heard she was going to tell them her plan, “Illusionism is a fantastic way to impress everyone. And I can teach you a bit. It won't help you get fantastic grades in school, but you'll make friends really quickly and should you have trouble in school, you can ask your school friends for help. Does that sound like a good plan?”

The boy quickly nodded in fascination, “That sounds great!”

Merlin couldn't help but smile seeing the child's happy face. Additionally, he was beyond excited to see what Morgana was going to teach Charles exactly.

 

And so the two spent the afternoon teaching the young royal a few magical tricks that could be mastered by someone without magic, wherefore it was called a _trick_. Amongst others they taught Charles to perform several different card tricks, which he could perform at any time as long as he had a deck of cards, and also the _cups and balls effect_ , a trick that fascinated the boy immediately.

The three of them enjoyed the sessions all a lot and so Merlin and Morgana had to promise Charles to come by soon again to practice the tricks again and see whether he had mastered them or not. It was already late in the afternoon and slowly getting dark when the two left the castle. Naturally, the temperature had not risen over the course of the afternoon, which meant the two had to walk back home in the freezing cold.

“Brilliant idea of you to tell Tim that we could walk home,” Morgana complained, pulling her coat closer to her body to warm up.

“Better than have him wait in the car for several hours,” Merlin defended himself.

“You could have called him back.”

“Quit complaining, Morgana, it's just a bit of cold!”

“Oh shut up! It's cold and you feel it, too, don't pretend.”

“And what do you want me to do about it?”

“I don't expect you to change it,” she admitted harshly, “I just need you to hear my bitterness.”

Merlin looked at her with slight disbelief, amused by her attitude, “Alright, Miss Snow Queen, your bitterness is about to freeze my heart. Are you happy now?”

“You're a terrible liar, Merlin,” she noted, rolling her eyes.

“Some things never change,” he confirmed. Lying really never was his strength, which was the reason he never did it. Hiding things, on the other hand, was his specialty.

“I'm hoping that doesn't go for the weather as well.”

“And _I'm_ hoping that doesn't go for your mood as well,” Merlin sighed, followed by an immediate response from Morgana who lightly hit him on the arm.

“Certainly not with that attitude.”

Merlin couldn't help but smile. Trying to argue with her was definitely a mistake, “Anyway, you seemed to be really enjoying the day.”

“Charles is such a lovely boy,” Morgana agreed happily.

The smile that just formed on Merlin's lips when hearing her say that, immediately vanished as soon as she added, teasingly, “A much better heir than Arthur was.”

“I'm taking it you needed to get that out?”

Morgana nodded optimistically, “It's like you can read my mind. But honestly, he's such a sweetheart, so full of joy. That's really nice.”

“He's really wonderful. He seems to really like you, too.”

That, apparently, was the wrong thing to say, at least it reminded Morgana of something, “Tell me, Merlin, should I feel honored that you seem to have mentioned be a couple of times to the Royal Family?”

“I, erm... I just told plenty of stories,” Merlin stuttered, blushing, “And you, er, just so happen to be part of some of those.”

“No secrets also includes those stories, Merlin. But don't worry, you and I got time,” Morgana winked with a grin.

“Good thing you're mentioning it. Cause you can wait a _long_ time until you'll hear those stories.”

“And until that day, I will just make your life hell until you give up.”

“Good luck trying.”

“Oh, I don't need luck.”

Morgana's confidence brought a grin on his face. He just realized how much more life was easy now. He never could have had a conversation like that with her in Camelot, not even in the very beginning, especially with Arthur going around claiming Merlin to be in love with Morgana and telling him to stop. Now that it was just them, without any pressure, any duties or any other sorts of disturbance and interruptions, they had time to work things out properly. And so far, nothing seemed to be standing in their way.

 


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

 

Two months passed during which the two spend every afternoon in Merlin's _secret room_ , in which he had stored all sorts of items from the past, so he could tell her the stories to them. In chronological order he would take one item per day and tell Morgana where he had gotten it from, with whom and what it was about, while the female listened eagerly, fascinated by all the things he had experienced. It was exciting to imagine someone having seen such different places and people and times and even more exciting that they would do that together from now on, since she was immortal, too. Simultaneously she hated herself a little bit for getting so amazed by his stories while she should be eternally angry with him. Part of her was still angry and certainly would continue to be, but her curiosity was far too great to pass out in such an opportunity. It was hard to even just admit to herself that she was drawn to him and that her feelings for him grew, despite her knowledge of his past actions. To make matters worse, he had even told her that he didn't even want her to forgive him because he knew that what he did was unforgivable and that he was to blame alone. Then again that was simply his charm that made him so loveable.

 

“How long have you been living in this house?” Morgana asked one evening, the two lying in the garden at night to watch the stars.

“Not long,” Merlin replied a bit slowly, having to think about it first, “Just a few decades. I try to adjust to the time changes, so I can't live in the same house forever. But I really like it. I hope I can live in it for a long time to come.”

Morgana continued looking into the starlit sky, thinking what to ask next out of the thousands of questions she was still having after all these months, “How are you so rich? You don't even have a job.”

“I've had a lot of jobs over the years, actually. Saved a lot of the money I made from that. But for now I'm only working for the Queen. Counseling her whenever she seeks advice.”

“All this time you've stayed with the Royals,” Morgana remarked with a bittersweet smile.

“They need me. And I need them. Works out perfectly.”

Morgana tilted her head to look at him, “How do you mean, you need them?”

Merlin returned the gesture, “Well, it's best to keep my identity, especially the immortal part, a secret. Having the Royal Family make sure that no one finds out or could get suspicious is a great help. I couldn't possibly go around with a normal ID putting a fake birth date and place on it. It's more complicated to be immortal than you might imagine. I'm really glad I've got them, or otherwise my life would be a mess. This way I can work if I want to or stay at home for some time, like now. I still do little work for the Royal Family anyway and make sure they are protected at all times.”

“Then they'll have to do that for me now too. Now we both got complicated lives.”

Instead of saying anything, Merlin smiled at her appreciatively, trying to hang on to that thought.

“Have you ever told anyone. Anyone besides the Royal Family?”

“I did. A lot of times, actually,” Merlin admitted, his eyes wandering to the ground in remembrance, “There were times where it was good, times where it was a mistake. Either way, they're all dead now and I am still here.”

Morgana looked at Merlin silently again, surprise by his attitude. He had never struck her as the type to think like that, but it was probably just the result of having outlived everyone.

“On a different note,” Merlin began, continuing in a softer tone due to the personal topic, “You've known for a couple of months now. Have you told your family yet?”

“Family,” Morgana repeated more to herself before correcting him, “That's just my father. And no, I have not. I guess I have to get used to it all before being able to explain everything to him.”

“That would probably be for the better,” Merlin agreed.

Morgana then laughed about a thought she had, “But I can't deny my excitement for seeing his face when he witnesses magic for the first time.”

That made Merlin laugh too, “You would probably make him question his entire life.”

“Probably. But back to you.”

“Aren't you ever tired of hearing about my life?” Merlin asked with a grin.

Morgana understood that it wasn't his desperate wish to explain her all of his life choices, yet she had so much to learn and Merlin was the only person she could come for advice to, “But other people's lives are so interesting! Just... what I have been asking myself is, obviously no one in the house knows besides you and me. Why have you never told any of them? You all seem so close. I remember when I first moved in here it was so strange, in a really nice way, how everyone seemed to live in such harmony here, despite the fact that even they barely know anything about you. And you clearly love them all, too. I mean... aren't you ever tired of hiding all this time? I get that there are people who would be afraid, especially now that people don't even believe in magic anymore, but overall your life hasn't change much since Camelot. People know you, but they don't know you have magic. It's understandable that you don't go around telling everyone you meet on the street, but these are your friends, Merlin.”

“I told you it's complicated,” he replied rather coldly as he turned his head away to face the sky again before continuing, “Of course I could tell them because yes, they are my friends. But they aren't here because of that. They are here to work. To you, the staff I have now is the only staff here you've ever known, but I've had people work here that have quit because they had moved. Others have died or retired. That's how life is when you don't die: All the people surrounding you change. They leave and get replaced by others, sometimes more people leave, other times more people come. And while everyone else keeps moving and everything keeps changing, you remain the same. You remain where you are.”

With a quiet sigh he turned his head to Morgana again, “So yes, I could tell them. And I would love to. But there is no guarantee that all of them will still be here tomorrow. Maybe someone new walks into the house tomorrow and starts working here. This is all like having a secret identity. Just that you can't choose it. You're born this way.”

“Would you rather be mortal. If you could choose, I mean?”

With a small, reassuring smile he replied, “I could die if I wanted to. Everyone can die. It's just that you and I won't die because of age or illness. But I don't wanna die. Life is fun and exciting and there are many benefits of living for a longer time than others. It's just that it also brings difficulties. Basically I have difficulties that others don't have and vice versa. The hardest part to my life is simply that I don't have anyone I could ask advice about it.”

“That is where I am more lucky then,” Morgana smiled back.

“I know. Although, as you've probably already noticed, it's not fun to talk about every part of my life,” Merlin agreed, adding in his mind _But I do it for you anyway_.

 


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

 

“Checkmate!” Merlin declared with emphasis and a winning grin.

Victor and the others sighed at the repeated defeat. Everyone always tried defeating Merlin at chess, but they always lost. Of course it was a bit unfair, seeing as Merlin had has far more experience in the game, having practiced for several centuries already. He knew all the tricks, which made it fairly hard to beat him at it.

The door swung open and soon the person entering joined the others in the living-room, “Is this some kind of conference I wasn't informed about?”

Everyone turned around looking at Morgana.

“No, just a little session of chess,” Merlin explained.

“We play it from time to time,” Ruby continued explaining, “It's basically all of us against Mister Albion, we have never been able to defeat him. But we're determined to win some day.”

Morgana raised her eyebrows as she looked at Merlin, “Chess, huh? You mean one of the most popular games that has been around for centuries?”

“As long as there is no other game of the same name, yes, that is what we are playing,” he confirmed teasingly.

She rolled her eyes before stepping closer to the table, Victor immediately getting up to make room for her to sit down on the armchair opposite Merlin.

“If you are so good, you surely won't decline a game against someone who has been playing chess practically her entire life?”

Her challenge immediately caught his interest, “You sound pretty confident.”

Morgana quickly rearranged the board, only rarely taking her eyes off of Merlin for it, “I know what I'm about. Question is: Do you know when to give up?”

“Definitely not as quick as you might hope. Now I only hope that you aren't promising too much. I'd hate to be the person to destroy your self-confidence.”

“Do I detect a certain cowardice?”

Merlin waited a few seconds before replying, “Only your own.”

Morgana finished putting everything back to place and so the two began playing, everyone watching them anxiously.

The game was tense at every second, both Merlin and Morgana always knowing exactly what to do. And whenever one of them made a move that made everyone think that the other was now lost, the game continued anyway. Clearly Morgana had not been lying when she said she had been playing since being a child. Merlin had underestimated his advantage, thinking that her _entire life_ was not as long as his and thus he had more experience. He was wrong. At the same time, simply because he had been playing ever since its early days of development, he hadn't dedicated his life to it and only rarely played. He had simply known and seen the game and the rules for so long that he was confident no one knew them better than he did.

“This must be the longest chess game ever to be played,” Ruby commented in astonishment, with which everyone agreed.

Throughout the majority of the game the room was filled with complete silence as everyone was too focused on the game to even make a sound. Naturally, when the silence got suddenly disturbed by the phone ringing, everyone looked up, except for Merlin and Morgana who did not let any disturbance get between them and their concentration. Victor immediately went to answer the phone. Once he did so, it got silent again for a few minutes until he walked back into the room, interrupting the game.

“Albion, you're needed,” he simply stated.

Without taking his eyes off Morgana, as to not miss any secret actions she could do, Merlin answered, “Who?”

“Police.”

“Police?” Morgana asked in surprise.

After getting up, Merlin said, “I'm guessing you wanna join me. Which is really good because I will certainly not leave you alone with an unfinished chess game.”

“Oh, is that how much you trust me?” Morgana inquired with a smirk.

Merlin walked over to Victor who gave him a piece of paper with more details on it before turning to Morgana again, “Correct.”

 

After the two got into their coats they left the mansion and walked to the crime scene, which wasn't too far away.

“So,” Morgana started once they had stepped outside the mansion, “Have you forgotten to mention the police knowing you too or do they just occasionally call you like that?”

“They just call me like that,” Merlin confirmed.

“And they call in an unprofessional because?”

“It's part of being advisor for the Royal Family. Whenever there is a big or hard case, they can call me in for help.”

“So you actually do work sometimes,” Morgana stated sarcastically.

Merlin replied with a laugh, “Surprising, isn't it? It would be boring if I stayed home all day. This doesn't happen too often, but it does happen.”

“Then how come I've never heard of the famous Detective Messy Hair?”

“Maybe because that's not my name? Also, I do this to help people, not for recognition. And it would be really bad to be involved in publicity, if I try to remain unknown.”

Morgana nodded understandingly. It was a bit impressive how well thought and planned out his entire life was. He knew exactly how to handle everything, which meant that he was constantly thinking about what he could and could not do. She certainly felt a bit sorry for him, for having had to spend such a long time on his own, even though he would barely admit that.

“So, what sort of a crime are we going to look at?”

“A missing person. A teenage girl that went out to run and hasn't returned yet.”

“Doesn't that happen a lot?”

Merlin nodded with a confident smirk, “Finding missing people is my specialty.”

Morgana rolled her eyes hearing his confidence, although she was mostly glad to hear him using his powers for good even though he kept them secret nonetheless, “How long has she been missing?”

“Five hours.”

“Isn't there a twenty-four hour waiting period until they get searched?”

“Yes, but I told the police department to pass all reports of missing people on to me so I can take care of them.”

With a small smile Morgana concluded, “That's really honorable of you. But has no one ever questioned your ability to find missing people easily without having had any special training in doing so?”

“Yeah, but that's the plus of having the Royal Family take care of keeping everything secret.”

“So, to conclude everything, your life consists of throwing parties, making decisions for the Royal Family and looking for missing people?”

Merlin thought for a moment for emphasis, “Yes, pretty much.”

“You really can't complain, can you?”

“I could. Everyone has something about their life they can complain about, but what's the point? There's nothing keeping me from doing what I want to do, therefore, I've got nothing to complain about that I would need to change.”

How he always had a detailed answer to every single question she asked him amazed her everytime. Whether there was anything that he would not have an answer to she didn't know and it was not going to become part of her life goals, yet it interested her what kind of question that would be. Luckily for her, there were still many questions she was meaning to ask him and she was convinced that it was impossible for him to be able to answer them all. For now, though, she was more than interested to finding that missing girl and bringing her back to her family, where she would be safe.

 

It took but a couple of minutes for the two to arrive at the forest through which the girl always ran. As Merlin entered the forest, Morgana simply followed quietly behind him, watching him do his job. His skill of being able to track down people he didn't even know was not as impressive to Morgana, after all it was a skill she had as well. Nonetheless, she had never used it for good before. Of course the situation back in the times of Camelot where quite different as to have her care about finding missing people and she hadn't been remembering her past life long enough to have had enough time to think of how to use her magic now. She had mostly used her magic to fight, or rather kill, people, which was not what she would use it for anymore. Neither did Merlin of course. He knew how to use his magic for other things than surviving. Truthfully, he probably used it for everyday tasks without thinking much about it. To Merlin, magic was who he was without doubt, while for her it was something she had had too less time to get to know completely, in every way there was to it.

“You're like a hound, huh?”

Her comment made him laugh, “Almost. Hounds are trained, I'm not.”

“And yet they pay you,” Morgana noted as she followed up behind him.

“It's not about the past. It's the present that counts.”

“Wise words, Mister _Criminal History_ ,” she teased.

Merlin turned his face towards Morgana and winked at her, “I could give you the same name.”

“Yeah, just that I'm not a _Mister._ ”

“Okay, _Misses_ Criminal History,” he corrected himself.

“I'm not married to you, Merlin.”

“Do you want to be?”

“Shut up and do your job, idiot,” she concluded, rolling her eyes.

Merlin did as he was told and concentrated on the tracks again. The two of them were in the depth of the forest now, still on the path leading through it in order not to get lost. There were several tracks from different people on the ground, but that did not bother Merlin of course. Although Morgana wasn't quite sure how Merlin knew which of the tracks to follow, she let him do his job and stuck with simply observing him to figure him out on her own.

“Her tracks on the path end here,” Merlin noted, stopping in the middle of the path.

Morgana walked next to him, looking on the ground where he was looking. He was right, there were also more tracks on the side of the tracks that had been there before, which meant that the kidnapper had come from within the forest, possibly surprising the poor girl who didn't even notice his presence.

“Do you think the kidnapper dragged her deeper into the forest?”

“If the kidnapper didn't want anyone to notice than definitely, yes.”

“Maybe there's a hut where she is being held now?”

Merlin turned to the left where the tracks seemed to continue, “Let's find out,” he declared before the two went deeper into the forest, leaving the path.

 

“I never noticed that the forest was so big,” Morgana admitted as the two made their way through it.

“That path gives you the shortest way through it. Without leaving it you cannot possibly imagine how big it is. Nonetheless, forests used to be a lot bigger.”

“That is true,” she agreed, remembering all the nature that ruled the world back in the day. Villages and towns were like forests were now, a small part here and there.

After a few minutes of searching the forest, the two reached the end of the forest.

“I'm not trying to question your abilities, but are you sure that she was dragged out of the forest _here_?” Morgana asked as the two of them looked on the main road in front of them.

Merlin looked at it in confusion. It did not add up at all to drag someone out where everyone can see after having taken her from the path in the forest in order to prevent anyone from seeing the situation and thus intervening.

“Do you think the kidnapper has pulled her into a car and has driven away with her?”

Merlin scanned his surroundings, barely hearing what Morgana had said. He did not, in fact, believe that to be a possibility. There had to be something else. And it didn't take long for him to be proven correctly. Behind Morgana he could sense the tracks continuing, branches were broken, possibly by the girl.

“This way,” he simply stated, pulling his arm around Morgana for the moment he walked past her to turn her into the right direction, “The kidnapper probably didn't know the forest that well.”

“So they didn't know the road was there?” Morgana asked, quickly following behind Merlin.

“Maybe they got lost. That's why there are paths, to prevent people from getting lost. A lot of people who aren't used to walking where there are no paths or direction signs get lost quickly because they are so used to having something guide them there way and don't know how to find the way on their own.”

“Okay, so the kidnapper probably doesn't have a lot of experience in kidnapping people then?”

Merlin nodded, “That's what I think.”

“So they probably know the girl.”

“Most likely.”

Morgana stopped, knowing what the girl must feel like. She herself had once been kidnapped, locked away together with Aithusa. But that wasn't half as terrible as having been abandoned by all the people she had called her friends and family. She knew how the girl must be feeling in that moment as she sees her kidnapper's face for the first time. How betrayed she must feel, questioning all her other relationships and even worse, herself.

After a few steps Merlin noticed that Morgana had stopped and he turned around, walking back to her with slight concern, “What's wrong?”

Morgana was unable to answer, staring into the distance in front of her as she took deep breaths. It was hard moving on when getting reminded of all the pain she had to feel. Knowing that there were others out there even now who had to suffer as she had made her feel awful. All those wars and yet the personal wars would always continue with someone. There were always people being abandoned, betrayed, left alone and called guilty for simply being themselves and standing up for that. But she couldn't let that take her over now. Clenching her fists she stated with determination, “A girl has been kidnapped by someone she probably had a lot of trust in, someone she felt safe with and then one thing, one simple little thing changed that and now she has to suffer for it. Come on, Merlin, we're gonna make things right.”

With these words she continued walking, past Merlin although he was the one knowing the way, but Morgana simply walked forward with such a passion that made Merlin smile, proud to see her handle it this way. Her words made him realize what she was feeling, that she felt connected to this girl she had never even met. This was Morgana right there. Helping those in need, not only because she could relate, but because she had always had a good heart and that was something no one was able to take. He quickly jogged after her to catch up, not saying a word because none was needed.

 

Not more than two minutes passed until a small and old cottage came into their view, almost hidden by the trees and plants surrounding it. As soon as Morgana spotted it she rushed towards it, immediately followed by Merlin.

Morgana was about to blow up the door when Merlin held her back by putting his hand on her shoulder.

“Don't,” he whispered, “You don't know what's going on inside there and we don't want to risk anything.”

Morgana was about to say something, but Merlin already sneaked over to the door, looking at the lock to unlock it without even needing to say the spell out loud. Once that was done he carefully opened the door, Morgana now directly behind him. He peaked into the cottage to make sure the kidnapper wasn't going to immediately notice them, and fortunately all he could see was a teenage girl tied to a chair, directly looking at him with fear in her eyes. Merlin put his finger to his lips as he and Morgana quietly stepped inside. While doing so, Merlin looked around to make sure no one was there besides them and looking at the girl with an expression that asked her whether there was someone else around. She shook her head as tears were streaming down her face.

“Hi,” Merlin began with his low, soft voice, “We're here to get you out of here.”

Morgana jogged over to where the girl was, quickly setting her free. As she was doing so, she could feel the girl's eyes on her, so she looked at her for a moment, not knowing what to say.

“How did you find me?” The girl suddenly asked, looking at Merlin.

Merlin slowly walked over to her, “I'm with the police, It's my job to find missing people. Your parents called, concerned because you did not return from your weekly running. They told us your routine, which made it easier to find you.”

The girl nodded, showing that she had understood.

When Morgana was done untying the girl, she looked at her, “Who did this to you?”

The girl looked at Morgana again, fear returning to her eyes, “My aunt,” she quietly said.

“And where is your aunt now?” Morgana asked.

“She left. She... she said she would come back in the evening.”

“Do you know why she did this?” Morgana continued her questioning in a calm tone to calm the girl down as much as possible.

The girl shook her head, “No... I- I don't know, she um, she told me to follow her and- and then she brought me here and, I don't know.”

“It's alright,” Morgana said in a soothing tone, “You're safe now. Come on, let's get you out of here.”

When the girl nodded, Morgana pulled her arms around her to help her up from the chair, making sure not to hurt her in the progress.

 

After that, Merlin and Morgana brought the girl to the police station, where her parents already waited for her. The rest was up to the police, after noting down Merlin's statement.

“It's really good,” Morgana declared as the two walked back home, “That you use your magic for things like that.”

Merlin smiled a little, “Well, I hope everyone would use it that way, if they had magic. I'm doing what I can.”

“Don't... don't belittle yourself, Merlin. You're being a good person. You might not do any of this for recognition, but that doesn't mean that you need to deny it when someone gives it to you.”

“Okay. Thank you, I do appreciate it. It's just new to have someone know. Know everything.”

“It's new for both of us, though I think we're handling it pretty well.”

Merlin pressed his lips together to hide the big smile forming on his lips, “I agree. And you handled the situation just now so well. Though, to be honest, it wasn't too surprising. You always had such a good heart.”

“It felt really good, too. It's nice to think that we're gonna do this more often,” Morgana admitted happily.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, let's pretend that it has not taken me almost three whole month to update this! I'm so sorry for having taken so long but here is (finally) the next chapter :-)

CHAPTER FOUR

 

He walked the living-room up and down, over and over again. His hands behind his back and his eyes focused on the carpet as he was lost in thought, thinking sharply.

“Ya know love, if ya want a new carpet, just say so. No need to run over it until it's all run through,” Jackie, the housecleaner, told him as she entered the room.

Her words made him stop and sit down on the couch instead, head thrown back, eyes now on the ceiling as he sighed, “It's not about the carpet, Jackie.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

Merlin finally moved his head to her direction, eyes looking at her, “Do you want to help me or are you just curious what's wrong with me?”

“Little bit of both,” the woman admitted as she walked over to him and sat down on the armchair next to the couch.

He sighed, knowing that he had to talk to _someone_ about it, “Fine, whatever. Buckingham Palace called, there's going to be a birthday party in a week and they invited me.”

“They always do that, Albion. Why worry about that now?”

“It's not me being invited that's the problem, they want me to bring Morgana, too! Charles really got along with her when we went there together so they want her to come with me.”

A big smirk formed on Jackie's face, “Is someone nervous about going on a date with her?”

Merlin looked at her with a death-glare, “First of all, it's _not_ a date when we're both being invited to a party.”

“What's the problem them? You don't have a problem with her living here. Plus, the two of you spend a lot of time together, including the parties here.”

“That's different.”

“And how is that so different?”

“Because we live here. That means I don't have to spend every single second with her, like I would have to at a party where she doesn't know anybody else.”

Jackie laughed, clearly enjoying the other's pain, “It's just one party, sweetheart. You'll survive a couple of hours with her. And you said it yourself, it's not a date. So why put pressure on yourself? You'll do fine.”

“That really doesn't help, Jackie.”

“Sometimes, you just have to go through things without being prepared. That's life for ya. Don't think too much and just have a good time with her.”

 

Later that day, Morgana was sitting at the desk in her room, planning out the next party, when someone knocked on the door.

“Come in,” she said and the door opened.

“Hey,” Merlin slowly began, now getting her attention.

With a soft smile on her lips she said, “I'm working, so this better be important.”

“Depends on your definition of important,” he started and she symbolized him to enter the room.

Morgana finally dropped her pencil and got up, “Come on, tell me!”

“How well do you know the Royal Family? Who's part of it, I mean.”

She was a bit confused by the question but then answered anyway, “I know a few.”

“So you know about Princess Alexandra?”

“The Queen's cousin?”

Merlin nodded.

“Of course, why?”

“It's her birthday next week, and her birthday will be celebrated at Buckingham Palace. To which I got invited.”

“And you're telling me this because...?”

“You got invited too,” he finally managed to announce.

Morgana's facial expression changed from utterly confused to overjoyed in a split second, “Really? Me? W-Why?”

“Oh, please, Charles absolutely loved you and the Queen was very thankful for us taking care of him.”

“Wow, I- I can't believe it. A royal birthday party!”

Merlin laughed, hearing her so excited, “You do remember that you grew up in a castle?”

“I know, but this is different. It's been so long. I need a dress! This is so exciting!”

 

Merlin was glad that Morgana was too distracted by her excitement to think of anything else. It was times like these that he truly wanted other people to know his secrets, too. Although it was great enough to have Morgana now with whom he could talk about his past and being immortal, especially because she was there and she could relate. But he couldn't talk to her about how much he wished they would not go to a party together that was filled with the people that knew his true identity and most of them having heard plenty of stories, including the secrets he did not want Morgana to know. And she was pretty persistent, which meant that if she somehow got reminded of the fact that the Royal Family knew plenty of stories, she was not going to leave the party until someone told her at least s _omething_. _Something_ already being too much. Apart from his worries, he was excited to attend a party with her that was somewhere other than his own home.

 

Two days before the party, Merlin knocked on Morgana's door. When he heard her calling him inside, he opened the door and stepped into her room with a friendly, “Hey.”

“Okay, last time you came into my room you had the best news for me, which can only mean that this time you do not. Please, if you are here to tell me that the party is off, don't tell me. I'd rather not know,” Morgana stated, in a dramatic yet very serious tone as she turned to Merlin.

With a soft giggle he calmed her down, showing her that her worries were for nothing, “No worries, they don't usually cancel parties. I'm here for something else. As you know, the day of the party is also Christmas Day. And I always send everyone here to their families over the Christmas holidays, so you can go back to your father's house for the next week.”

“Really? Oh, that's great,” Morgana smiled brightly hearing the good news, “So what will you do over the holidays?”

“Me? Oh, I, I just do what I always do. Living here.”

“What, seriously? You're gonna be here for a week all on your own? Do you even manage?”

“It's nice to hear you having so much trust in me,” he sarcastically replied.

Rolling her eyes she continued, “Come on, you have multiple people living with you and doing everyday tasks for you. I just don't see how you'd manage to take over _all_ of their jobs for a whole week.”

“It's not _that_ hard,” Merlin insisted, almost a little hurt by her thinking he actually needed people to work for him, “Besides, _if_ it were too much for me to handle, I'd still have my magic to help me out.”

“And you're sure you're not going to end up feeling lonely?”

“I'm sure,” he smiled reassuringly.

 

It was the night of the party, half past eight to be exact, half an hour before dinner would start at the castle, and Merlin was standing in the hallway, dressed in a simple black suit and a black bow tie, waiting for Morgana to finally arrive at his mansion. The entire staff had left the previous morning, as they did every year, Morgana included. The two of them had agreed on her going home the same time as the others, and then come over to Merlin's because her father's house was on the other side of the city, and she didn't see the point in Merlin having to drive their first before going to the castle, and she knew her father would be willing to drive her to Merlin's. And so he did.

While Morgana was getting ready at home, Merlin was getting ready himself. He remembered the very first time he saw her, walking into her chambers to bring her a potion Gaius had made for her nightmares. She was changing, getting ready for the party of that night. Merlin had immediately been fascinated by her beauty, possibly because he had never laid eyes on such a beautiful person. It was a little awkward though, seeing as Morgana had been thinking him to be Gwen, otherwise she most likely would have killed him right then and there. To this day, she was unaware of that encounter, maybe for the better. Today was different, though. Morgana hadn't been to a royal party in, well, a very long time, and now that she wasn't in any way royal anymore herself, nor was she still living in a castle, there was a different feeling about it all, one she couldn't quite explain herself. There wasn't too much pressure on her, no one she represented, but she was still a lady and as such she was going to attend that party. Without knowing it before, because she hadn't been remembering her past life for too long, Morgana had missed the royal life dearly. Not the part about having to act coldly like Uther, or not being able to freely speak her mind or completely be herself without getting herself executed, but the fancy part, with the most beautiful dresses, lovely hair and confidence that couldn't be shattered by even the best sword. And that feeling was what she was going for tonight as well. That was why it took some time to get ready. Not having a maid anymore would seem to make everything take longer, yet her magic made the process of getting ready faster. The reason it took so long then, was not getting ready in itself, but the preparation. She hadn't been to a fancy party in too long and she certainly hadn't owned a dress suitable for such an occasion in this life time ever, wherefore she had to make one first. She could have bought one of course, but Morgana was someone who knew exactly what she wanted. That could not be bought in a store, so she used magic to make what she wanted, it took long because she had never used her magic to make clothes for herself, and it wasn't as easy as it might sound.

There were things one never unlearned, among others, the gracefulness of a Queen. Well, she had never been queen, not for long anyway and not in the most legal way either, she did, however, know exactly what it took. And she had that gracefulness about her. And so it did not take much effort to make an impression. She felt her father's gaze on her, gaping at her in astonishment, utterly speechless. _Exactly_ what she was going for.

 

The door bell rang. Merlin went downstairs, opened the door and, if looks could kill, would have died in an instance. Not for the reason one normally would die when saying _if looks could kill_. Right there, Morgana wasn't looking at him like she was ready to kill him if he even took another breath. It was just that she was wearing the burgundy silk gown, the one with the golden leaflet around her waist, her lips as red as her dress and her curly hair pinned up, looking exactly like she had the night of the party when they had first met.

“Are you ready to go?” She asked confidently, obviously well aware of her effect on him.

“Um... yes,” Merlin managed to get out before clearing his throat to get his senses back, “I suppose you know this already, but you look absolutely gorgeous.”

Morgana smiled with satisfaction, “We _are_ going to a royal birthday.”

The only difference there was to how she looked back in Camelot, was that now she was also wearing a long dark red coat to keep her from freezing in the December night.

 

The two of them then walked to Merlin's car, which was usually driven by Timothy, and Merlin opened the door for her and helped her inside before going over to the other side of the car and getting inside.

“Tell me, what exactly did you tell your father was the reason for you being invited to a royal birthday party?” Merlin asked curiously while driving.

A small grin formed on Morgana's lips as she turned to him, “Why, I told him you needed a companion and decided to go with me.”

“Why would anyone _need_ a companion for a party?”

“For dancing, obviously, what did you think?”

“Then you should have accompanied someone else to go there with you.”

“If you think you can leave the party again without having had a dance with me, you are dead wrong, my friend.”

“There's plenty of people to dance with, I'm sure you'll find someone good enough.”

Morgana rolled her eyes at his stolidity, “You and I are going to dance tonight and there is nothing you can do about it.”

 

They soon arrived at the party, parking the car where the others were, a little away from the entrance, meaning they still had a bit to walk. On their way there, Morgana linked arms with Merlin. Her coat did warm her, but it didn't stop the coldness from getting to her body completely. While the two walked in a pleasant silence, Morgana kept looking over to Merlin, who was holding a present in his other arm, and Morgana was quite curious about its content.

Inside, a servant took Morgana's coat and she thanked him ere she and Merlin joined the other guests in the ballroom.

“Merlin,” called a happy voice from behind, making them both turn around to face the birthday princess.

“Princess Alexandra,” Merlin smiled at her, “Happy Birthday.”

Smiling back she answered, “Thank you very much, dear. And you must be the famous Lady Morgana, Elizabeth was right, you truly are pretty beyond words.”

“It's just Morgana now, your Highness,” Morgana replied friendly, blushing slightly at the compliment.

“Either way, to meet you is the best present I could get.”

“Then I take it you don't want this?” Merlin asked with a sly grin, holding the present he had brought in front of his chest.

The Princess, ripping her eyes wide open with immediate regret of her choice of words, quickly shook her head, “Oh, no, no. Don't be silly, Merlin. Besides, I know you wouldn't be able to stand not giving me a present.”

“Fair enough,” the sorcerer admitted in defeat ere handing her the present.

Knowing that Merlin was always one to make incredible presents, the princess could not wait to open it right away, only to discover a small music box, more beautiful than any other she had ever laid eyes on. “Oh Merlin,” Alexandra finally said, still in utter awe, “It's so beautiful.”

“Yes, well, that isn't really what a music box is about, though,” he remarked, glad to hear she was liking it so far.

The princess then nodded, opening the box, revealing a beautiful melody, “Oh, I remember this melody! You used to bring this music box when I was a child and had troubles falling asleep. I can't you believe you're giving me this.”

"It has definitely always helped you and I figured there was none other than you who should have this,” Merlin smiled contently.

Alexandra was clearly over-joyed from the surprise and stepped closer to hug Merlin thankfully, “You truly do make the best presents. Thank you.”

A bit surprisingly, Morgana found herself smiling peacefully as she watched the scene. It appeared as though Merlin touched the lives of many, in the best of ways, which also brought up a feeling of envy, wishing she could be the one leading such a peaceful life with him and not having had to experience how it was being an enemy of his instead of a friend. Still she knew, the future was yet unwritten and so she found herself hoping that this time they would end up in peace instead of hatred.

 

“Is it odd?” Morgana asked, breaking the silence.

The two of them were now standing near a window, watching the party from afar.

Turning his eyes off the dancing couples, Merlin focused on Morgana in confusion, not sure what she was getting at. “What do you mean?”

“To be close to the Royal Family for all those centuries, seeing the rulers of this country rise and fall, shaping the country after their own ideals, yet always staying by their side and letting them do as they please.”

“I am their advisor, as I've been from the beginning, wherefore I do have a bit of a word in decisions they make. But yes, of course it's still them that rule and have the final word. I'm not them, though. I am who I am, it's not up to me to decide over this country and if I were to, how much would change? A country can't stay the same that wouldn't work out. It can be frightening, but overall, change is a good thing,” he explained to her shortly. Unlike Morgana, he had never had the desire to be the one sitting on the throne and ruling over the people and country. He was thankful for his position, being able to have a word and give advice as well, yet, at the end of the day, he preferred not having to do it all the time.

“You'd make a terrible king anyway,” Morgana teased casually.

Raising his eyebrows as he felt like being challenged he replied, “Oh? And you'd make a good queen?”

Morgana nodded confidently, “Just because one person rules all the time does not mean they always rule the same. People change, Merlin, so I doubt that I would not grow with the country. Maybe you couldn't do it, but I could.”

“Then why don't you become one now?”

Laughing at his ridiculous question, she reminded him, “It's not some job you can just apply for. If anything I could marry into it, but right now there is no one available that would get me on that gorgeous throne.”

To be honest, she really would be able to do it, they both knew that. That did not, however, mean that she also _wanted_ to.

“So you're giving up on wanting to become queen?”

“Delaying it,” she corrected him, “Besides, I will always be my own queen.”

Without meaning to sound rude the male commented, “Sounds rather sad.”

Not giving him any warning because it was almost like a reflex, she gently punched his arm, “It's not _sad_ , it's called _confidence_. Don't worry, though, I'm sure one day you will be able to be your own queen as well.”

“Great, what would I do without your trust in me?” Merlin commented sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

Feeling victorious over the conversation, Morgana couldn't help but chuckle lightly, then suddenly stopping as she remembered something, “Anyway. We still need to dance.”

“Oh, I don't think we _have_ to. In fact, I know that it isn't required of the guests to dance.”

“I did tell you that we are going to dance and I will not go back on my word.”

Merlin sighed, “I just shouldn't have told you that you were invited, too.”

Morgana nodded in agreement, “Probably so, but it is too late for that now. Come on, everyone's dancing right now anyway and I already taught you. And when I teach someone something, they're promised to be good.”

“Sure you would only say good things about yourself, doesn't mean it's-”

Morgana suddenly taking his hand and dragging him to the crowd interrupted his words without giving him a chance.

“You've always been one to talk _a lot_ , Merlin,” Morgana commented as she placed their hands in position and started leading their dance to the music, “That won't stop me, though.”

Merlin sighed to symbolize his defeat to her, “Fine.”

“Much better,” she grinned, satisfied at the result.

 

Quite frankly, the dancing was not that bad and before they knew it, people started leaving the party. They two found themselves saying their goodbyes to the hosts and getting back to the car to drive home.

As Merlin stopped the car in front of Morgana's house, he found himself taking a quick peek at it, wondering how her life in there was like.

“Are you sure you're alright being on your own for a while?” Morgana inquired, again, leading to Merlin looking at her with a small sigh.

“Yes, I'm sure,” he answered, again, before putting on a soft smile, “Now go, you barely get to see your family anymore so go and have some fun, do some catching up and enjoy your free time.”

“Fine. Then I'll see your messy hair again in one week,” Morgana grinned back as she ruffled through his dark hair.

 


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

 

After dropping Morgana off at her father's house, Merlin continued his way back to his own place. The party had went better than he had expected and he was more than glad that they had went. For some odd reason, there had been a completely peaceful atmosphere between the two, no sign of forced politeness or any sort of awkwardness whatsoever. Whatever it was, neither of them were going to complain about it. They had made the silent agreement to just let time work things out and see where that would take them, which was a fairly positive development.

 

Back at his own place, Merlin made a quick check throughout the house before using his magic to decorate the house, as well as the garden, festively. With a content smile as he looked at the big hallway that connected all the rooms, he decided it was enough decoration. Knowing that he didn't have the time to just stand there looking at it he moved on to the kitchen, where he, using his magic, baked enough cookies to feed all of London for a week. Once the baking was done and the cookies put on a table he put in the garden, the door bell rang.

A frustrated sigh escaped his lips as the sorcerer opened the door only to greet his visitors with an unhappy complaint, “I have told you this every single year for the past four centuries now: _Stop coming through the front door!_ ”

“Which is kind of a long time, if ya ask me, so I figured it's become some sorta tradition, just as much as the Christmas days themselves,” Patrick, a leprechaun, replied.

Rolling his eyes in annoyance, Merlin stepped aside to let the diverse crowd of magical creatures inside of his house.

“I smell cookies,” stated one of the Sídhe ere flying to where the smell was coming from, followed by the others.

 

About ten minutes later, when everyone was gathered in the garden, sitting on the grass surrounded by colorful lights and eating cookies, it was time for the actual party to begin. All the guests were talking to each other happily, sharing stories of what they had experienced over the past year and what else was currently going on in their lives. Although the party had , just begun, the mood was already perfect, peaceful like no one present had ever experienced any negativity, which made it even better. Even so, there definitely was one thing that was on everyone's mind and kept them from being fully interested in the stories they were sharing and listening to.

“Alright everyone, shut up now,” demanded Patrick loud enough to get everyone's attention.

Throughout the crowd one could hear people whisper to each other things like, “Is he gonna do it?” and “Why would he do that already, did we not agree on waiting at least one day to address this?”

“Merlin,” Patrick continued, everyone's attention switching between Patrick and Merlin now, “Rumors have been going 'round for a while now. In fact, the Seer had been suggesting this a couple years ago already, but we didn't really believe 'em. So, uh, tell us, is it true, has the witch returned?”

“Don't call her that!” Merlin half-yelled back in a defensive and slightly offended tone, making the majority of the people gasp in shock to the revelation.

The leprechaun, too, was rather shocked, although mostly because of the other's reaction, “Alright, alright! No need to get so rude about it...”

Merlin simply sighed, already having known that everyone was just going to talk about that and be more curious than they should be about it.

“So, you picked up where you left off?”

“What? No! We're... working things out,” he stated calmly.

Leaning to one of her friends, an elf whispered, “Is he still talking about magic?”

“Sounds to me like they're getting close to each other, if you know what I mean,” the other replied with a smirk on her face.

Although slightly frustrated, Merlin tried to remain as calm as possible, so decided to ignore the comments and instead turn to the Seer, “Listen, guys, yes, Morgana is alive again and I made her remember because she has the right to know herself better than anyone else does and right now we're just trying to get along and be a team instead of enemies. The more important question, though, is why you didn't find it important to tell me that she was going to randomly enter my life again?”

“We once made a pact, remember? You asked us to not tell you about the future, seeing as that kind of information has never helped you do your job. The one exception where we _are_ supposed to give you a heads up, is as soon as we know anything about the return of the Once and Future King,” one of the Seer defended themselves confidently.

“Do you really need to take everything so literal? Because obviously you found it interesting enough to share that little piece of information with everyone else.”

“What's your probably, buddy? I mean, I get that it was out of nowhere, but it's not like you could've prepared yourself any better had you known 'bout it earlier. Besides, why get pissed now when there's nothing anyone can change. Instead, you should tell us why she ain't here,” Patrick grinned curiously.

“If you must know, she lives and works here. And just like everyone else, I've sent her home to her father for the week. She may be Morgana Pendragon, but she's also Morgana Winters and I'm not gonna take that away from her. She deserves having a normal life.”

“Sounds to me like you don't want us to meet.”

“I really don't care,” Merlin replied honestly, “I mean it, I can't imagine what the past few months most have been like for her, but I'm sure a break won't hurt her.”

“I'm sure nothing is going to hurt her as much as that sword he stabbed her with,” commented Queen Mab to Patrick.

Breathing out in slight frustration to keep himself calm, Merlin replied, “You know what? I just changed my mind, I don't want her to meet you guys.”

“Great, now ya ruined it, Mab,” complained Patrick.

“Me? Why, you started it!”

“Guys!” Merlin interrupted the two arguing ones, “Is it possible for you, for once, to stay out of other peoples' business?”

Everyone looked at each other in question, unsure of what to answer.

With a sigh, Merlin continued talking, “Not like you have a choice anyway.”

“It's just, we have been wondering what your plans for the future are, concerning the Lady Morgana?” Queen Mab asked for everyone.

“You're asking _me_? Just ask the Seer, they know the future, not me,” Merlin replied, almost a bit helpless, mostly confused by the question.

“Sure, but only you know what you _want_ to do.”

“All I know is that those two wars were too much. Another one and humanity obliterates itself.”

“So what? Let 'em!” Patrick exclaimed, “Haven't we had enough examples to know for sure that humans are stupid. If we let them go on like this, they ain't just erasing themselves, but will drag us down with them.”

“The little one's right. It ain't worth it, kid,” agreed one of the trolls.

“What?” Merlin exclaimed with a mixture of shock and disappointment, “No! We're not gonna do that.”

Queen Mab looked at the others wisely, “These are our festive days, where we all spend as much time together as we can. It is not ideal, I agree, but this is no political meeting where we discuss our thoughts and opinions. So let's not ruin this time of joy.”

 

The next day, in the house Morgana grew up in this lifetime, things were going more traditional. After having gone to church with her father, Morgana went into her bedroom to have some alone time before the rest of the family came over. She would have used the time to relax, let everything behind her for just a few seconds, but something was on the front of her mind. She paced through the room, lost in thought. Then she stopped, standing in front of a plant on her windowsill that hadn't been getting enough water and sunlight in the last time. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the plant. She was unsure of what to do, but focused on the plant and gave it her best to recall what it had looked like in its better days. Opening her eyes a bit nervously, a happy smile crossed her face once she saw her success. Although it was not the first time she had been using magic in this lifetime, it was one of the first times and she still needed practice, especially concerning magic that was not used to harm. And it felt really good.

Later in the day, her aunt and uncle came over, alongside their young daughter and Morgana's grandmother.

It was nice hearing what was going on in everyone's lives, especially hearing how their lives were still so normal, not having the slightest clue of what had been truly going on in Morgana's for the past few months.

“Your father has mentioned that you now live in that huge mansion everyone keeps talking about,” her aunt, Sarah, began, bringing everyone's attention to Morgana now.

Morgana just nodded lightly, not quite sure what to say. She had been preparing for this conversation ever since Merlin had told her that she could be going home for the Christmas week, but no matter how much time she would have gotten for this, there was no way to truly prepare for it.

“That must be incredible,” Sarah stated with excitement.

“I do work there, it's not just a vacation,” Morgana smiled politely.

“I remember how excited you were when I first told you about him,” Sarah smiled widely, “You had been wanting to go to one of those parties so badly, and your father just wouldn't let you.”

Her father shook his head, “It's a total stranger, Sarah, why would I let my only daughter go there?”

Rolling her eyes as she ignored her brother's words the brunette continued, “Living there you must have gotten to know this mysterious Mister Albion that hosts these most famous parties, haven't you?”

“Oh, just a little bit,” Morgana lied a bit unsure, “Not much better than anyone would know their boss, really.”

“I must admit, I was quite surprised that my brother let you move in after having spent years of keeping you from even going to a single party.”

“It's not like she gave me much of a choice. I let her go to one party and then she comes home and tells me she signed a contract to work and live there,” Mister Winters commented.

“Well, it's not like I am the only one there. A lot of people work and live there, like one big family,” Morgana explained.

Nora, Morgana's little cousin, became curious, too, and asked, “What if that man is a murderer?”

Morgana froze a little, she wasn't wrong, after all.

Sarah gave her daughter a gentle smile instead, “Oh, sweetheart, Morgana is perfectly safe there. You know, this is exactly why I always tell your daddy not to tell you any horror stories before going to bed.”

Her husband, David, looked at her with an apologizing look, “Sorry, she just loves them so much.”

“And now she thinks that every stranger is a potential murderer, I am very impressed.”

“He could be. There certainly are many rumors going around about that Mister Albion,” Morgana's father agreed with Nora.

Morgana rolled her eyes, “There are always rumors going around about people.”

“Just... be careful, it's a cruel world, you never know who to trust.”

“Let her live, for God's sake,” Morgana's grandmother interfered, making Morgana grin, “She's a smart young woman, she knows what to do. And this is Christmas, the one time of the year where we all manage to get together, don't ruin it by being the overly protective father.”

 

“Odd, isn't it?”

The voice ripped Morgana out of her thoughts. They had eaten dinner and now that it was dark outside, Morgana stood in front of the windows of the living-room, staring at the snow falling down slowly outside. Turning around, her grandmother came into a view, bringing a smile on her face.

“What is?”

“How quick life can change.”

Morgana looked at her in a bit of confusion, not sure what the elder woman was trying to say.

“You go to one party and suddenly you've got a job and a new home. Must be very exciting,” her grandmother explained with a smile on her lips.

Morgana nodded in agreement, “Oh, yes. I certainly never thought I would one day plan out parties for a living.”

“I can tell it has changed you already, in the best of ways. It's doing you good, don't let your father tell you otherwise.”

“I appreciate his concerns, but nothing more.”

“Very good. You know, I have been hearing the stories about the Albion Parties even when I was a young girl. It must be a family thing of some sort.”

“To give people _the opportunity to take a night off just to have some fun and not think about how little time they have on earth. Also it's nice to just see them enjoying their time_ ,” Morgana quoted Merlin's answer to the purpose of the parties, smiling softly while talking.

Her grandmother watched her granddaughter silently for a few seconds before continuing, “So that is the reason why. It sure is a good thing they keep doing it. We have been having some unpleasant years, after all, it's good to see there are people who don't stop trying to make others smile. You know, Morgana, very often the people that make others the happiest are the saddest, the ones that have seen the worse and know what it's like to not have happiness when they most need it.”

Her green eyes looked outside at the snowflakes again, thinking about her grandmother's words, which, she knew, were all too true. Although she had been having a rough past, to say the least, Merlin did not have it easier and instead had lost everyone while having to live on himself. While already being aware of said fact, she still could not quite grasp how that must be like.

“It surely is important to visit your family once in a while, but don't even think for a second that you have to stay here any longer than you want to. You have spent two decades living in this house, it won't hurt anyone to see you less than possible.”

The words brought a smile to her face as she looked at her grandmother, thankful for always understanding her thoughts and feelings without needing to explain them.

 

Soon the second day of the Christmas week was over and the third day came to pass. Morgana had thought about her grandmother's words and had come to the conclusion that she would leave the next evening.

Her father was nice enough to drive her back to the Albion Mansion and insisted on walking her inside, but Morgana refused politely before walking to the door herself and waving to her father one last time as she opened the door and stepped inside ere closing the door. Placing her one suitcase on the ground she looked around, amazed by the beautiful Christmas decoration inside of the house. Then she started feeling like she was going crazy when she suddenly started hearing voices coming from the distance. Looking to the direction of the voices, Morgana walked towards the source, confused, since she thought Merlin was alone. Stopping at the backdoor that led into the garden, she looked through the glass, even more confused by the diverse people she saw all over the garden. Once she spotted Merlin she opened the door and stepped outside, walking over to the one familiar figure.

The crowd began to go silent as they spotted Morgana. Merlin, who was standing with his back to the house, wondered why everyone suddenly stopped talking and looked in the same direction. Turning around, he froze slightly at the sight of Morgana standing right in front of him.

There was a weird moment of silence, where no one knew what to say until, finally, Morgana began to talk, “There are so many things I could be saying right now, but honestly, nothing could truly express my feelings.”

Everyone remained silent, most of them too curious to even make the smallest remarks, Merlin because he was too surprised. One thing that everyone knew right now was that anger was rising in Morgana and it would probably be a mistake to even move an inch.

“I'm sorry, I just didn't think,” he began, but was immediately interrupted by a now furious Morgana.

“Exactly, you didn't think. But guess what, it wouldn't hurt to use that brain of yours once in a while.”

“I wasn't finished yet,” Merlin stopped her, pausing for a second to make sure she would listen this time. When the female had crossed her arms in front of her chest, Merlin took it as a sign to continue, “What I meant to say was, I didn't think you would want to spend Christmas here, I thought you'd rather see your family again.”

“I can think for myself just fine, thank you,” she replied coldly, “And when were you going to tell me that this is something you do?”

“I would have told you as soon as you came back this week!”

“Oh, is that what _you_ meant when we agreed on no secrets? That you wait for when it's most convenient for _you_? Because to _me_ no secrets means telling each other everything immediately,” she snapped bitterly. Sometimes she just wanted to throw something at this legendary sorcerer. If only people knew what an idiot he was in real life.

“No, that's not-”

“Woah, there,” Patrick interfered, quickly jumping next to the two to stop them from possibly killing each other, or anyone else, “If the two of ya are always about to kill each other because of one little thing you'll both be dead before havin' worked anything out.”

Merlin and Morgana looked at each other silently, knowing that the leprechaun was right. Despite that, Morgana wasn't just going to let the other off so easily, leading to her punching him in the guts before turning to the other, “Just let that be a warning to you.”

His hands covering his stomach as though that would make the pain go away it took a few seconds for him to stand straight again. Although it wasn't the greatest way yet, they were slowly getting there and for now all he could do was smile appreciatively for her putting up with him, despite doing a terrible job.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, feedback would be much appreciated :-)


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